


Weeping Rock

by LemonadeFeli24



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Hetalia Countries Using Human Names, Love, M/M, Ocean, Transformation
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-30
Updated: 2020-12-20
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:41:01
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 14,936
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25616776
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LemonadeFeli24/pseuds/LemonadeFeli24
Summary: Ludwig had been worked among the seas for years, fascinated by the idea of traveling only to find monotonous work. But, with every trip, he would remark each whale he would see upon his journies, especially one named Sorrow, who lingered near what was known as the weeping rock. He had only seen the tail of this mysterious whale, not expecting to find a beautiful guardian of the sea behind it.
Relationships: Germany/North Italy (Hetalia)
Comments: 17
Kudos: 28





	1. Chapter 1

Upon the fresh set of waves, the fishing boat shook with a gentle rock across qualls of water. Cranes, nets and cages overcroweded the top of the ship, clearing out near the very bow. The inhabitants of the ship either willing through the sickness or succumbing to sleeping in the lower quarter. The cages sliding back and forth, either empty or full of their latest catches plus a few other things they decided not to drop. 

The water was not malevolent that day, not even close to a threat of toppling the boat or her wares. One man stood by a net, entangled with all sorts of fish wriggling as they aimed to put them quickly away. 

But this large boat's goal was not merely fish, but the oils from earth's giants itself. A factory ship seekings oils from whales, before either using its body for more goods or dumping back into the ocean. 

Ludwig had no idea why he would ever join such a boat. It seemed as a simple job that him see the nature and beauty of the sea. Maybe help a few families eat. But the intense smell of a whale carcass made him easily forget why he joined. 

He sighed, seeking through the net more until he found a tiny seahorse stuck among the wriggling fish. The poor tiny creature possibly swept away by the tremendous currents. He went over to the side, placing the small thing into a tiny bucket with water. 

It was not their objective; not on their menu. Therefore, he wasn't undergoing his work. Ludwig got to his feet, overlooking the side of the boat at the traveling seas.

Ludwig sat back for a moment, pulling a coin out to gently flip; challenged greatly by the turning of the boat but managed to grab it each time. He hoped that the smell he so despised served as a warning to the rest of their catch. 

Especially one in particular. A beautiful whale that looked like that of a humpback maybe (He was too familiar with whales, but it was quite big), that he always managed to only cath a glimpse of the tail alone.

She (assuming from her great size) always stuck around Weeping rock, so he appropriately named her Sorrow. The songs were a cry for her unknownst fallen family members while she awaited for them around the base of the rock.

Ah yes, Weeping Rock.  
A rock that Ludwig had seen every year at least once in it's full entirety. Every summer, it succumbed to the tides of the oceans and in late winter stood proud among the other dangerous rocks as a beacon. it looked as if a lady fell there after being going overboard in tiresome, arms crossed as she cried into them for help. Now there to help other others avoid the same fate.

Or that's what the stories said at least and it's always been there since Ludwig was a boy. 

Snagging the coin in his hand harshly one more time, he got up to finish his work.  
Staring where the large rock was submerged under the water would not bring in enough money. 

Hours passed as he managed to horde the fish into freezers and containers, the ship apparently came to a halt in the middle of the sea. The worried workers came out confused, heading up to the engine room inside while Ludwig stood still on the deck. It looked like ants scampering to the hive in panic when all it was possibly was some seaweed stuck to the fans. 

Ludwig stayer on the top of the ship while the doors to the inside closed. Almost the sound of it shutting gave Ludwig reason to get up. He was about to head towards the doors when the ship suddenly budged as if something bumped into it. Tarps falling onto the windows of the engine room and across the deck. Cranes softly swinging. And the eerie sound of old metal squeaking. 

Quickly grabbing the bucket with the seahorse, he looked around all the edges of the ship. A force in the water surged, causing the ship to rock from the force of the water crashing upon. Suddenly, a giant hand crept onto the bow of the boat, following up with an arm and another until it pulled itself onto the boat to show a curious face. A- rather giant curious face.

A giant had perched onto the boat as Ludwig stared into its golden eyes. His heart thumping while Ludwig stared deeply at this mythical creature which certainly had to be impossible. This was like a siren's curse right? Where sailors saw things that lead them to falling overboard in a fit of lust or- the version where they had been out at sea so long that hallucinations came to them like a dehydrated man in a desert? But the former idea- that was with songs- not sights.

He rubbed his eyes with one arm, gripping the bucket tightly while he panickly tried to clear his sight of hallucinations.

"What are you doing?" The being whispered, resting his head on his arms. "I will still be here when you open your eyes." The giant smiled, a huge tail coming up to gently push back through the water. 

Ludwig stopped, slowly taking away his arm from his face and opened his eyes once more.  
"...What are you?"

"I'm- well I actually don't know what I am. Do you know what you are? I'm Laguna di Venezia." His gave a gentle slap to the sea beside them with the wave of his tail. "But you may say any part of that name as you wish. Like Laguna, Vene, Zia-?" He giggled, bobbing his head in turn of the waves. He outstretched his arms which causeed the ship to tip towards him.

"Ah- ah-" Ludwig suddenly croaked, stuck in shock at the giant creature and waved his hands. "Stop, stop, get- get off the boat! You're going to tip her over!" Ludwig took a step forward, slipping from the lack of friction cause by the water on the deck. He feel down into the arm of the giant...creature.

"Oh- Sorry." A small chortle came out that vibrated the floor while he slipped off into the water and dove. Once more, he appeared with his head peeking out enough from him to breath. 

Ludwig placed a hand over his chest, then two fingers over his heart. "I'm- I'm dead right? Or dreaming? This feels horribly real- why are you talking to me?" Perhaps this- creature was a species yet undiscovered yet highly intellectual to understand the local linguistics.

Languna di Venezia spun a finger in the water curiously. "Well, I get bored and you look bored!"

"Yes, but aren't you worried I will tell about you to others? Or that they will spot you?" Ludwig approached the edge of the bow, swallowing while he continued shuffling across cautiously. 

"Not until you mention it. And if you do, I can grab you and keep you so you don't. And they won't see me." He gently giggled, "Not if I'm quiet enough."

"Fair. Fair." Ludwig peered over the edge once he made it. He saw two eyes looking up to him, the creature slowly getting up till they were face to face. Small to large. 

"But I have a feeling you won't. Otherwise you would have ran from me now. Or yelled. Or thrown something at me, like that harpoon." He cooed as to not hurt his eardrums.

"I- as long as you don't threaten humans, I don't think it's my business to hurt you-?" Ludwig gulped. The ship rocking steadily while Venezia softly whispered 'thank you'. 

"So..what is your purpose? I- know most animals only suffice to reproduce, but, certainly like us, with your intelligence: you beg for more." Ludwig spread his hands out in questioning manner.

"I am this sea's guardian supposedly, but.. I don't know what I want. Everytime I come here, it changes.. new boats.. houses.. I remember great wooden boats of before.."

"Changes? As in technological changes? That would have to be weeks or years in between depending on what you mean. How old are you?" 

"Me? I believe I have.."

But their heads shot up to the sudden sound of the door opening by the entrence to the lower levels. 

Ludwig quickly put his back to the edge side in a defensive manner, ready to quickly explain. 

The men that came out only went to the catches and sides in observing the comdition of their wares and catches which confused Ludwig until he turned around: seeing He was not there anymore.

As if vanishing into air, a man shout out in the void of the sea with a pointing finger. 

Ludwig followed his finger and felt ease in his tense chest. A faint tail of a great tail diving into the water. A whale tail. That unmistakable tail.

Even as he dove towards a direction far from himself, Ludwig had a feeling they would met soon again. Hopefully under better circumstances.

"What exactly are you, Sorrow?"

____________

Ludwig groaned, sitting upstairs in his room of the bungalow. His hands furiously moving back and forth- 

There was absolutely no information on this giant of the sea. Not even a cryptid photo that was badly taken! No- fake reportings or made up conspiracies! Nothing. The sound of a mouse clicking continued through his room, checking every subject- but alas. Nothing. 

His head fell to his hands, rubbing the sleep out of them as he had not been able to get a wink of sleep last night. How could one sleep after seeing that! He had tossed and turned- flipping between the two ideas 'Yes, it was real' and 'No, it was a mirage.' Even after he soon fell asleep, he woke up quite early to begin his study. Which brings us to him now, notebook empty besides a small checklist with one item in place.

•Whale tail

But that was it, how was he able to describe the rest of it? Human-- whale hybrid? Did-

Did a human manage to do something with a whale--  
Ludwig's thoughts snapped as he heard the faint laughter of his brother, sighing and put the pencil down. There was one thing he knew that was definetly real.

"What's got you twisted up this time, bro?" Gilbert called from the doorway, slacking against it in a faded red long sleeve turtleneck. "I haven't seen you stared at paper that hard since I gave you that one math riddle."

"It was a stupid riddle and you know it-"

"AND not solving a riddle doesn't mean you're an idiot. They're tricky."

A grumble came from Ludwig, who returned to his research, glasses pushed upright along the bridge of his nose. "I'm busy working."

"Nosense, you have no work- at least work that requires a computer. Now come down- your breakfast is getting cold and I think you need a break from the computer before your eyes pop out." Gilbert pushed away from the door frame to head back down the hall and to the kitchen, a faint snicker following.

Ludwig managed to pull himself up from the chair, dragging away from a pointless search to trudge downstairs.

The smell of eggs with hashbrowns filled his nose, making his stomach growl and the desire to eat grow. Taking a seat across from Gilbert, a thought came to his head.  
Should he tell Gilbert? His brother had more knowledge of the town than anyone else, always prowling with his group. And his brother was loyal...

But didn't he promise to keep it a secret? Not necessarily, but what was the benefit in telling Gilbert? 1% chance of potential information with a 99% chance of being claimed 'Exactly how much sea water did you drink? Maybe you should switch jobs.'

There was no way he would give up the chance to see such a magnificent creature again. It had sparked a new sense of desire for research in him-

"I'm fine, it's fine-" He whispered to himself. Ludwig cut a part of egg white to eat. 

"Hey, I'm heading out again to look at the new stores- Want to come with?" Gilbert asked. 

"No, I'm rather alright. Go on, but please be back by 10 or at least text." Ludwig rubbed his temple, eating up more.

"Alright alright, one time I show up late and it's all I hear-"

"Because that one time I found you was on the news half-naked and swimming in the freezing river." The sound of a car beep came from outside.

Gilbert snorted, smiling as he gobbled up more and snatched the keys. "Well you found me right?" A laugh came from him, moving to press a kiss to his temple and slipped his shoes on. "Bye bye, Little Luddy!" Then came the shut of the door.

Moments later, Ludwig's hand untensed and the fork in hand clinked against the plate. His brain only could focus on Sorrow. He was getting to worked up over the unknown, and so, with a deep breath, he focused on what he did know. What he saw. Sorrow was a beautiful brunette with perhaps the most memorizing hazel eyes. Even though they had just been in the sea, their hair remained curly and their lashes free of any dew drops. 

His body leaned against his elbow, now unconsciously spinning the fork against the plate lightly.

And a screech of the fork against the plate brought him back, scared for the condition of his plate. "Well, there's no doubt about it." Ludwig sat up, promptly washing the plate and fork. "They were definetly real."

He looked to peer through the kitchen window, the ocean in the distant view.

And Ludwig for sure felt as if he blacked out, because he suddenly stood at the beach boardwalk with his car keys in hand and the fading heat from the car's engine against his legs. The smell of salty seas and the itching feeling of sticking sand close by. 

Sorrow wouldn't casually meet him again, it would compromise the creature's existence. But this still didn't stop him from traveling to the end of the boardwalk, watching out for any sign of a tail, not noticing the soft squeaks of the wood behind him, where a frail man with beautiful red hair hid bare and soaking wet.


	2. Troubled

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feliciano - Sorrow, just so no one is confused-

The sudden creak from the back brought Ludwig away from the sounds of the furious waves crashing against the beach side. The boats gave a rickety sound in the dark, rocking with their masts swaying, as Ludwig ventured closer to a stack of boxes. Cautiously, he slowly overlooked the spot behind it, finding only a few barrels and a curl of ropes that laid like a snake. Wet droplets dotted the old wood, giving it that momentary rich color, and indicated that water had somehow reached this dry spot on the docks. Footsteps were dully sounded beside the dock, sand crunching, and at last followed by a great splash that had Ludwig scrambling to find the source. "Who's there-?" Ludwig called out, moving to pull his phone out for the flashlight, casting the eclipse of light over the sand as he pushed off the side of the dock to thump onto the sand below. Dents in the sand lead to the ocean, only confirming what he thought happened. As much as he wish he could cast a look in, it was way too dark underwater and his phone was not waterproof what so ever.

It wasn't as if a shark or a dolphin could sprint ashore and suddenly dive back- no, it was obviously a person. Most likely his brother pulling another prank since he was the only one he told of his whereabouts.

Fair play, he did give him a good scare. It would be irresponsible to return without him- god forbid he bumps his head into a boat and passes out here. So- he awaited, choosing to sit on one of the large boxes with the light searching over the eater for any sign of movement or perhaps white hair. It did not mind- the wind was cool and the sounds the ocean casted had almost a healing effect towards his mind. One thing he always could believe in was the ocean, the boats, this beach. He always knew what it would be and where it would be and /how it was to be/-

It had been the beach he'd always grew up to, the salty smell was that of a familiar's touch. The breeze was a welcoming hug- yes, this had been where his sanctuary, curiosity, and freedom had laid. From when he seeked a playful environment, he would run to the docks to play with his small boats and many toys. From the times of high schools, where he had so many stressful tests and pressuring expectations, he could escape to here to take a breath. Many times his brother found him asleep out here even, and always he would wake up back in bed.

There was only moment that he was scared of this sanctuary. When he was very young, Ludwig ran outside when the ocean's tides were driven crazy by a storm. Ludwig got too close to the edge and fell over, fearing he would be swept away-

But the next moment, he felt himself arrive on shore. Gilbert nearby pressing his ear to his chest, checking on him, relieved when he heard his little brother breath and cough up the water from his throat.

Ah, it was so many years ago, Ludwig didn't need to recall such minute things anymore. At least not right now when there laid a giant guardian in these very ancient seas. He had too many questions- how, why, when- and yet no idea how to meet this beautiful being again despite his size. His only lead was wherever that tail was.

His shoe shuffled against the sand, making new imprints with his foot. He could even find himself making a shape in the sand out of curiosity, redrawing the best he could of the mermaid. His long locks, amber eyes... he was fascinating like a siren. Oh lord.

Hm.

"Gilbert, We need to be heading home now, come along." He called out, standing up. "It's getting late- I'm not going to let you drown out here-" His phone suddenly buzzed, strangely enough since he had few people that called him, and pulled it out. The front of his phone had the normal overlay, but the name on it had made his heart freeze. He quickly swiped and raised it to his phone. "Gilbert?"

"Yeah it's me- get back home before you get hypothermia or something, otherwise I'll have to drag you back in myself."

"You're at home?"

"Uh, yeah? It's like 10 o clock- now come back."

Ludwig stared put at the dark sea. "Ah... I'm on my way back right now." With no hesitation, he made his way home with a hint of fear.

The faint footsteps soon faded, leaving the dock back to its quiet state. A small head poked out from behind the dock's underneath, one of the poles holding it up. "It is Ludwig..." He muttered to himself, happy, wandering back up to the shore to glance at his drawing, causing a smile to come to his face. But another sound set him scattering back into the ocean, he will have to meet him then- as he watched Ludwig retreat back to a house near the Cliff side, he had an idea.

The glass door behind Ludwig slid shut with a thud, having mindlessly thrown it closed as he walked inside. His coat tossed on rack, shoes wiped against the rug as he plopped onto the couch with an audible sigh, shutting his eyes in a stressed moment. The couch dipped and he lifted to see his brother sitting next to him with two cups of coffee, crossing legs and setting them on the coffee table. "Cold night?"

"Always a cold night," The blonde grumbled, taking the hot cup of coffee. "Decaf right? And feet off please or at the least wipe it after you do this-" His hand waved towards Gilbert's feet to convince him off. "Ay, I promise I'll clean it after, just relaaaax..." Gilbert took a sip, shuffling his shoes off to hit the floor but adjusted them properly together on the spot by the couch. "Of course it's decaf, I don't want to stay up all night either." He sipped. "So what's stressing you now?"

"What do you mean?" Ludwig sipped the coffee once he had confirmation, swirling in his hand and watched as the creamer took a pattern.

"I've been around enough to know you head out whenever you don't feel well, plus you're kinda staring off right now."

Ludwig snapped out of his intense stare once Gilbert acknowledged it, relaxing his shoulders into the couch more. "Nothing, I just keep thinking about work.."

"And what about work?"

"Mm... I found uh.. a really beautiful fish. So spectacular and beautiful that I would believe it had never been discovered before."

"Aw how sweet, I'm guessing it got stuck in the catch?"

"...More or less found the ship."

Gilbert raised a brow, "It 'found' the ship? How big was this thing? I thought we were talking about a angel fish, what kind of tuna or shark did you find?"

"Ah, uh.. it was just bright from above so it was easy to see." He waved dismissively.

"And this fish is distressing you how..?"

"I just keep thinking about it. That's all," Ludwig cupped his hands closer around the cup to feel the warmth in his hands more. "Well, I'd say try to relax, this is your week break, you should spend it watching movies, reading, going out before you head back out for another two to three weeks.." Gilbert pulled him close by wrapping an arm around, hugging his brother. "I'll do my best to relax."

"Tell you what, how about we go out to the bar, spend some time and maybe find some dates, tomorrow night?"

"I wouldn't turn down a beer, but how about we save that for my last day?" Gilbert wanted to ask why, but simply shrugged. "Sure, sounds like a plan."

Ludwig downed the rest of his coffee, pouring out the last few sips he could not bother to down, properly wash out and head upstairs to prepare for bed. After stripping down to his t-shirt and boxers, feeling the carpet at his feet till he flopped onto the bed. The bed so elegantly made under him as he laid flat, hands together at his stomach. He found himself either glancing to the ceiling or window every once in a while- expecting that mermaid to just magically appear through to converse with him more. The silence had defeated any hope of that, and a few seconds later the only sound through the house was from Gilbert's tv nearby, muffled by the walls thankfully enough so Ludwig could find his slumber if he ever decided to pursue it. With an ease of his eyes, Ludwig prepared to sleep by slipping under the covers until a small thunk came at the side of his wall; a wall facing outside. He dismissed it as possible a bird coming to land on the windowsill or the trees nearby slapping against it. However, moments later a giant shatter came as his window was smashed to pieces, letting in the cold wind from outside with a sudden burst. A large rock laid in the middle of his room. Ludwig threw his covers off, getting up to race of to the window while avoiding the broken pieces to see the beach side. Audibly a small 'Oh fishsticks,' could be heard from the distance as a bare whisper with a sudden splash. But before then, the blonde could make out the sudden moving shape diving into those very waters beside his house; sending him racing out to traverse down the stairs quickly, turning optimally and yanked his coat to run outside. He had not bothered to fetch slippers, let alone shoes and his feet soon crunched in the mixed terrain of sand and rock after getting off his porch.

One hand was devoted to keeping his coat close and his steps slowed while he looked out to the ocean. He found himself staring down at the waters- and as slowly and carefully as he could- Sorrow slowly poked his head from the waters, just enough for his head to show. "Sorry-" He squeaked, "I didn't mean to break your clear wall, apparently I guess that was more of a rock than a pebble..."

"It's... whatever- but what are you doing here? Your lack of concern regarding others finding out about your presence is well.. concerning. How did you even find here." Ludwig whispered partially, finding his way down the cliff side carefully to speak more quietly.

"Oh, I followed your boat home.. and then I tried to follow you more but you went inside the town so I just kinda swam around in the direction you went, and I saw you at the dock over there... I found you again, Mr. Fish man.." Sorrow did a soft happy splash with the tip of his tail above the water. "You're so intriguing to talk to, very different from the others- plus whales talk so much gossip funnily enough.." Sorrow met his eyes, seeing Ludwig glare heavily at him. "What?"

"You... I just was not expecting to see you again." Ludwig brushed his hair back, "At least not because you broke my window.. But hah, You're real-" Ludwig wiped his face with hands again; the droplets of the beach getting onto his face. "I have so many questions, Sorrow, I promise I won't say anything to anyone, but please give this man a few answers about yourself."

"Woah- woah-" Sorrow pushed himself more out of the water, his whole face and shoulders out enough that Ludwig could see more clearly the gills aligning at his neck, the little blueish hue in his cheeks, and once more, those eyes that sparkled like topaz. "Who's sorrow? You cheating on me with another guardian?" He gave a giggle.

"Oh, no, it's... just a.. a nickname I guess I've given to you." 

"Sorrow.." Sorrow gave a little pout, "I thought I was a bit more happy than sorrowful... but it is cute." Sorrow dove into the waters, gone for a few moments, to only resurface with a refreshing wave of water over his skin once more. His hand rising out to reach towards Ludwig, big enough that he could cup Ludwig in his hands if he so wished. Ludwig reached a hand out to place it in Sorrow's palm, smiling as it felt soft with the wet covering of water. "You say there are other guardians?"

"Oh yes, yes, of course. There's a guardian for each of the seas and oceans.. a few for some lakes that used to be much larger...There's the Gulf to the West who's a beautiful shark, a few guardians to east, one a koi based and one a goldfish based, absolutely beautiful.. I've barely met them since they are so far... but we all can make trips around the winter time.. sometimes.." Sorrow moved his pointer finger to gently graze Ludwig's hair, feeling how soft and he giggled. "I've wanted to always do that- so soft and dry.." He continued to do it, like petting a cat that Ludwig rolled his eyes and raised his hands to try and stop Sorrow's finger for a second. "And no one has spotted any of you?"

"We live in spots where there are no boats, plus it is easy to spot or detect a unknown presence and we simply dive. All the people here see is just a whale tail. Although there are these- horrible ships that seem to be hunting them now..." Ludwig decided to stay quiet at that moment, clearing his throat. "Right..."

Sorrow casted a glance around to their surroundings; thankfully the tall cliffs provided great cover so that he could delicately lay his upper body in the sand beside Ludwig. "I truly mean it when it is so nice talking to you, I may have been around for so long, but I have only talked to very few, and the last left me a little sour.. If only I could bring you my home so you could see! But it's way too far below. Honestly I'd like to see more of your life!" Sorrow mentioned, watching Ludwig apprached, sitting by his arms and close to his face. "Unfortunately you're a little too big for that." Ludwig chuckled, reaching to touch his cheek, seeing Sorrow watch him cautiously. He laid the palm flat on that soft cheek, smiling. 

Sorrow tried to hold back his big grin; Ludwig was just as interested as he was. "I think you should give me a happier nickname, like a human name... I mean if Sorrow is a human name, it's a sad name.." 

"I'll look into that then for you then, consider it a first taste of the human life." Ludwig reached to touch Sorrow's hair. Although, he though Sorrow fit the situation much more...

"Can I just say, You're the most beautiful whale? I've seen your tail so many times before, the one with the spot on the left.." In time with Ludwig's words, Sorrow lifted his tail to show off that very pattern. "Thank you, and you are the sweetest human I've ever met.." Ludwig yawned, resting back into Sorrow's arm, "Aw, someone's sleepy... I guess it is moon high.." Sorrow lifted his arm to cause Ludwig to rise to his feet, "Go sleep then, I'll visit you again when I can.. only at night unless you find yourself far out at the sea or a little bit of a more hidden spot." He ruffled Ludwig's hair with his finger more. 

Ludwig shared a smile, "Alright... Please do be cautious still.." Sorrow had sunk back into the black seas, as if nothing happened. Ludwig's eyelids hanging low while he made his way back up to his house, once more undoing his coat on the rack and washing off his feet. The dark living room was suddenly alight when Gilbert flipped the switch, casually leaning against the wall with crossed arms. "So, you wanna tell me about your giant mermaid boyfriend or should I ask him?"

"Ah.... Scheisse..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The plot for this story keeps changing so much in my mind, I had an Idea but it feels too much like a 'The Little Mermaid' kind of plot. I will work on Abadoned for now. I have so many Aus in mind, but I know I should take my time with these.


	3. Chapter 3

Ludwig shuffled on his feet, eyes focusing on the scuffs on his shoes near the doorway. The dust gathered by the door frame. The tissue crumpled in his coat pocket earlier from that day. Really anything to not look his brother in the eye. Besides the wind, the room stood still until Gilbert groaned. "Well?" 

"I don't think you are entirely sure of what you may have seen-"

"Ludwig- your room is full of broken glass- and outside your window, I saw you with a- what- a 40 foot long fricken- leviathan merman together. Macking lips with a giant fish." Gilbert flinched, quickly ducking when it looked like Ludwig was inches from throwing a couch pillow at him, but instead turned to throw his coat back onto the rack. "He would be a mammal technically." Ludwig corrected, quiet as he settled for standing before the albino, crossing his arms, and held his head low. "To be quite fair... I don't exactly know myself. But I'll explain it to the best of my ability." Over a late night drink, they both settled on the couch as Ludwig explained it all from the beginning. For only two days, it was quite the long story as Ludwig did not spare the details of explaining the merman's features; attempting to help Gilbert visualize exactly how bizarre and yet incredible he is. It was by no means concealed how fascinated Ludwig was, explaining some of the things Feliciano had explained to him (although not all, after all, Feliciano said it all for him to hear.)  
Ludwig ran a hand through his hair, remembering it fondly despite it only happening moments ago, "His tail is truly beautiful, he really was that whale I always admired... God I wonder how many times I've seen him, unbeknownst to the even more magical creature..."

"Yeah... no kidding.." Gilbert muttered, swirling the beer in his hand and took a sip with his next words. "So, he's single?" He laughed, giving an 'ow' when Ludwig playfully hit his shoulder. "Dummkopf."

"Hey- I'm just- trying to lighten the serious mood that's all." Gilbert rolled his shoulder to ease it, finding his legs outstretched. Ludwig casted a stress glance, that had Gilbert sigh and straighten his pose up; arm to his brother's back to help soothe him. "It's- I need serious you right now, okay?" Pleaded Ludwig, "You can't tell anyone- no one at work- nothing. None of your friends, this stays between me and you, for the love of god, and I'll do all the chores." 

"Jesus, you really are serious about this," A scratch to his head, "Calm down, you don't have to do all that just for me to keep it a secret," The beer in his hand was set down on the coffee table, which Ludwig quickly adjusted it onto a coaster, and raised a hand to the air, other to chest; "I swear, to my little brother, I won't tell a soul about the merman. Happy?"

Ludwig gave a single nod, "Yes." His arms crossed over each other, satisfied by his action. 

"However, this doesn't solve the situation of keeping him hidden- nor the fact you kill fish for a /living/-" Gilbert gave a few pats and then took his hand away. 

"Yes- And I shouldn't, I know- I was thinking about quitting. Just one more trip out and then I'll come back and find something else, but another month's pay will put us ahead of expenses- and then I'm done. I'm sure I wouldn't even be allowed to cancel when it's but a few days away. But that's it, I can focus work at home and be with you- and see Sorrow more. Which reminds me, I need to look into a new name.."

"Why not tomorrow, I'm surprised to be the one telling you to go to bed, but it's nearly 2 a.m, plus it'll give you something to do tomorrow. On top of window shopping." Gilbert kissed Ludwig's temple after getting up, "I love you, sleep decent." His hand remained in Ludwig's hair as he made his way around, ruffling it; he crushed the can and tossed it in the garbage, making his way to his room right after which left Ludwig sitting in his quiet living room. The menacing ticking of the clock seemed to mock him and his endless thoughts, not knowing how he could sleep when his /heart was pumping so fast/ and his brain only seemed to regret to asking or doing certain things. Eventually, a case of beers later and some duct tape, he found himself drunkenly covering up the window with uneven lines of tape, clearing up the broken glass and flopping onto the bed with the soft creak when it was all down. The tape did its job of keeping out the cold for the moment, now it was the bed's job to help him sleep. Thankfully, with a yawn, Ludwig quickly passed out into his dreams, fast enough to keep him from staying up to think about /him/.

Morning felt as if it had come rather quickly, but the light barely reached the room through the tape, only through the small gaps he clumsily created. Ludwig stretched an arm out, feeling the sweet ache of bones after his sleep (and the god awful headache of a drunken sleep) and got up in his boxers to huddle over to the window. His finger pull down one of the gaps to look through only to see a bright beautiful empty beach, thinking of last night almost as a dream. Stretching his back to be meet with a satisfying crack, he found himself dressing for the day, taking a few bites of toast his brother had made, and finally taking the keys to head out towards the store nearby. Before him laid the many options of different journals and he had settled on a black leathered notebook, leaving after for it as well as the some groceries they needed. After dropping those off, he visited the local library; the book laid open on one of the many tables inside the library, different whale books laid about and opened to specific pages, all similar in that they were on humpbacks. Ever since he had woken up, he couldn't think of anything outside of Sorrow, his features-, the very beautiful idea of him living among the various humpback whales that laid outside his house and further home. The pages slowly began to be filled with various doodles of humpback whales- some were the many expressions of sorrow and a few were references of Sorrow's full body; a work of immaculate design yet destroyed by his messy line work.

Ludwig leaned his head to his chin, tapping the end of pen against the bulk of pages. He would find himself turning to the next page to jot down a question or thought that suddenly came to mind. Could he understand whales? What if he was like a princess, able to speak to animals? What if he could sing beautiful songs like that of actual humpbacks? What decided their species? A list of things to ask, and a space below for hopefully answers. Anything to understanding him better and personally...

He was currently working on sketching on the face of Sorrow when a object obscured the light above. Ludwig glanced up slowly, seeing a man above looming over to see what he was working on. "May I help you?"

"You seem very interested in whales." The voice rang out, pulling out a chair to sit across. It took a moment for Ludwig to realize that this man looked very identical to Feliciano, but a little tanner and hair darker; his voice was the key difference, deeper, rich, yet not as cheerful. "Good artist," He lewned forward to put his head in hand, flickering his eyes down. "Favorite animal?"

"You could say that," Ludwig, with one hand closed the book, and leaned back to meet the man's stare. "Just- been working on some folklore design, sirens and such.." He itched the spot by his nose casually, expression stoic. "What brings you over?" 

The other squinted and snickered. "Like Mermaids?... Like.. /Giant mermaids/?" 

Ludwig's expression went from surprised to suddenly sour. "What are you on about? I have no idea what you're talking-"

"Is your name Ludwig?" 

"... Yes." Ludwig turned his head, eyebrows furrowed as he slowly slid his journal into his hands, gripping it tightly. "I think I should leave-" He scooted back in his chair to get up.

"Ludwig, I know you know about him."

Ludwig paused. A moment later, he sat back down in the seat. "Really now?" The book was placed back on the table, opened to a specific drawing of Sorrow in a side view, tail and all. "Him him?" His shoulders seemed tense, but his eyes were curious- someone he could talk to about- but how did he find him? "How?"

"Yeah, him him. I know- because I happen to be that idiot's twin. My name is the Ionian, but you can refer to me by Lovino." Lovino huffed, every time Ludwig looked at him, he would only meet his gaze back harder; boring into him. 

"You- wha? Twin?" Ludwig eyed him up to down. "You look alike- except for the." With his hand, he gestured to his figure. "It's a little hard to believe your related because-"

"Yeah yeah yeah, shut it and I'll tell you how." Lovino rubbed his own nose, "I'm just like him, a sea guardian, however, there's a temporary ancient spell that allows us to take the form of a human, created by one of the more ancient guardians. But, with- a bit of a major drawback," Lovino grumbled, "Feliciano doesn't know about it. Nor do I plan to tell him about it. This is used for only required times."

"What's wrong then? Why use it?"

"Because my brother- was dumb- and exposed himself to you. It's not that no one has never seen us before, but he's talked to you, even followed you back to town- and now he's fascinated by you to the point he couldn't shut up about you to me- however, I didn't know you were a human, thought you were some fish he named." Lovino reached across the table. "You can't draw this- it's very incriminating to a possible discovery about us. I'm holding back from even ripping that up, but you could simply just draw it again." His rear pressed back down the chair, "So I'm here to explain how this is going to go down," His hand curled to a fist, "You will never tell a soul about what you have seen. That means writing- in any way, shape, or form about us, fictionally or real. You will never harm "Sorrow", which bravo on that name, doesn't capture him at all. And finally, you should cease talking to him. Make him go away, do whatever need be, even if it means making him hate you."

It had only been days and he was supposed to leave him alone already? "...Why?" 

"I don't have to explain it to you for you to do it." Lovino pushed himself from his seat. "If you continue to meet him or seek for him, I'll keep it from happening myself." He was about to leave, but Ludwig reached across to grab his hand. "Wait-" 

Lovino hissed, "Don't touch me-" and quickly shoved his hand off to leave.

Ludwig simply watched him leave, closing his fist together. However, he realized his hand was suddenly wet with the faint feeling of water, from his hold on Lovino. If he had just come from the ocean, it would make sense why he would be covered in water, but the library was quite in-town, wouldn't he have been dry by the time he came here? At least he knew one thing, Sorrow was right, there were supposedly more than one, but he couldn't believe it unless he saw Lovino in that form.

Which reminded him, Sorrow. Ludwig trailed down the aisles of the library, pulling out a few naming books. At least he can make Sorrow happy with a kinder name- and give him a little taste of the human life he was curious about.

____________________

Ludwig ran his hands gently through the sand underneath him, letting it drop back to the earth in a soothing way. Able to hear it crunch and drop it all. It took him away from the worrying thoughts caused by Lovino's comment earlier that day. No, in no way did he want to leave Sorrow alone, nor did he necessarily plan to... in full honesty. Last night made him feel butterflies in his stomach for the first time in ages, something that no man or woman had been able to bring up in him ever. Of course, he had been to many bars before- a few first dates... he was never interested. His nose was simply stuck in work- and a life outside of the that had never come to mind. But ever since the first meeting of /him/... he was actually about to think of something else. And with last night, he was able to think of peaceful nights at the beach, talking of things from their lives together. God..

His first crush on someone.. and it was a being 10x his size and with no ability to be with him... 

Ludwig flopped onto his back, not caring for once if the sand stuck to his clothes or got in his hair. This was his freedom. His space to think. 

There was a possibility. Lovino could share with Sorrow the ability to transform, but he wasn't ready just yet to push the borders with Lovino. For now, he would just simply wait for the beautiful to arrive. And about 20 minutes later, nothing had change. Ludwig would be scrolling through his phone, with the dim light of the moon, and the notebook in his other lap to jot or draw as he waited. The sound of sand crunching was nearby and Ludwig for half a second panicked that Lovino had come back around (why was he scared of someone shorter than him by almost 6 inches?), alas, it was Gilbert who had come out to sit with him. 

Quietly, they sat together. "I don't know if he'll show if he sees you're here." 

"I can leave then," Gilbert shuffled, sitting hunched over and over looking the ocean view that expanded into vast unimaginable distances. 

"... you can stay for a while, I'm not sure if he even will arrive tonight."

"...I wanted to show you something that was on the news." Gilbert pulled out his phone to show Ludwig the article on his phone. Ludwig felt his heart gripped, a pang of fear rippled through him. Setting his phone down, he took Gilbert's to scroll through the article to read all there was on it. A few minutes later, the water rippled which caused Ludwig to send Gilbert away quickly. Once Gilbert left the scene, it took a little while for Sorrow to confidently come from the water. "Ludwig," He squealed happily, but noticed his nervous posture. Sorrow tilted his head, "What's wrong?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry for taking so long, I was having a real hard time deciding where I wanted this story to go. It'd mean a lot to know if you like where it is heading or if you believe it is paced/worded well. I'm thinking of working on my writing style a bit. In the mean time, I'll be working on the next Abadoned chapter, as well as plenty of Gerita short story ideas! Who knows, My handsome devil might get a chapter 2 soon. For now, this will get an update most likely in 2 weeks or so, depending on the love it gets. Thank you for waiting patiently. ♡ Hope you love the story


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorrow and Luddy spend more time together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the lack of drama, this is largely a fluff chapter with some relationship development, but also a chapter for me to get back into the story. Some interesting stuff will hopefully happen next chapter or so <3

"You all okay?" Sorrow flopped onto the beach, sending the sand underneath to fling up towards Ludwig. "Oh gosh- I'm so sorry- I keep forgetting I can do that-" He gave a giggle and rolled onto his back. "What's the little thing in your hand?" 

Ludwig went to answer, but felt his voice hesitate to come out. He casted a quick glance behind, finding Gilbert gone already. And while he typically was at a loss of words when around Sorrow, this was different. On his phone was the dark image of a fisher ship sinking, the only light coming from both a flame and the rising sun. Somewhere in the mess of headlines read of missing crewmates, 'a sudden wave' knocking the large boat over at 5 a.m.' despite the beaches being calm this very morning as well as in the photo. Ludwig just felt uneasy deep down for two reasons, the first being the thought of how that could have been him, no be him, because of reason 2, Sorrow. But there's no- way it could have been him, from both his curiosity in humans and gentle nature. Then again, he's only known Feliciano for a little while. And if not a wave, something big as a whale could have easily knocked such a boat over.

Hastily, he pressed the home button on his phone and raised it to show the back and front of the device to Feliciano. "Ah, just a phone.. uh.. let's you talk to others afar as long as they have one too."

"Oh, I see these in the ocean all the time," He casted a glance around when he could hear the faint sound of seagulls coming inland, "But they never work, thought it was a fancy rock or something." Sorrow let himself sink back in the water cautiously, just enough for his head to peak out. His head would look like the rocks that were near the beach line, the darkening sky casting the right amount of glow over it. "Gosh I wish you had a cave or something more secretive. Or that you could come into the water." Feliciano swirled a finger around some kelp with a finger, accidentally ripping it and watching it float to the top. He soon shifted to push his tail around the beach side, attempting to hide it under the dock so more of him was covered.

"Ah- well, I could set up a tarp of some sort so you wouldn't need to limit yourself to night..." Ludwig shoved his phone back into his pocket. "Or some sort of building in this alcove over here, would cost a bit." Ludwig rubbed his hand over his face, feeling the faint stubble attempt to grow back. This would be a decent spot to build some sort of building with a water entrance underneath to hide Sorrow better. But the size of it- his tail would surely poke out still. And wouldn't it surely be strange to build a structure as big as a whale? He would be stuck there all day at that point, but he didn't want to hurt Feliciano's hope. "I'll think on it, but it's best to continue visiting at night." 'Or not at all!' Ludwig could imagine Lovino ranting his ear off about. "Ah, so... What have you been up to today?"

"Me? Well, During day, I usually stick around the deeper depths since people can see my top half easily in water- I mean- whale with arms- strange. But- today, I spent a little time cleaning plastic at the bottom, then I sat by a spot and watched all the different fish swim by- there is so many pretty fish! But I'm honestly curious of what other fish there is in the world. I hear so many stories of gorgeous fish in the East- like 'Koi', Ah- and the blue sharks in the West!" Sorrow giggled, splashing his tail softly. "Then I talked with my brother a bit, he's such a butt. He was telling me to stop coming up here, but I'm being extra careful. Plus, it's not like it's the first time. But we talked, I checked in on the whales after it became dark- and then I'm here! What about you? What do you do all day?" Sorrow crawled out onto the beach more, cupping his hand in a way and wondered if Ludwig would come over to lay in it.

"...That's it?"

Sorrow pouted, "What do you mean that's it? It was a good day!"

"No no I mean- you didn't interact with any.. boats today?" Sorrow raised a brow, shaking his head. "Nope! No boats. Unless whales could be counted as a boat technically- they carry fish and barnacles through water. Oo... Whale boats..." He smiled. "Why do you ask?"

"Just curious." Ludwig swallowed. "My day was fine, went to a library, to the store, lingered at home for a while reading and on the computer." He glanced up, seeing the confused look on Sorrow's face. "Yes?" He took notice to the hand finally, getting from his spot and dusted his rear of the sand that managed to stick to himself; when he settled into the hand, it gently curled around him as to protectively hold, shielding him from the cold beach winds.

"I have no idea what you said, but it sounds nice." The merman's voice dipped to a whisper after Ludwig made a gesture to lower his volume because of their new distance. "Oh- so, what did you read?"

Ludwig glanced aside, mumbling something while he was a little flustered.

"Whaaat? Was it romance?" Sorrow teased.

"Oh- no no- I. I was reading on humpback whales... really fascinating beautiful animals." Ludwig rested into the hand. "Awwwwwwwwwwww, that's so sweet! Did I inspire it? Or do you like them? I hear of people that come out looking at them! I could teach you things on them too!" Sorrow leaned in, very gently trying to nuzzle.

"I also tried to look into a name for you." Feliciano stopped, peering to him. "And?"

"I had a few ideas, but I thought of Italian names. What about Felice?" Real original, simply happy in Italian. But- then again, happy matched him and it had a beautiful ring to it, he thought.

"Felice?" He emphasized the 'chi' sound, pondering it. "I like it. But how about 'Feliciano'? That seems more classy! Feliciano, Feliciano- I love it- Unique!" He cooed, "Thank you, Luddy!" Ludwig could see Sor- Feliciano twitch his hand as to want to hug him, but surely he'll crush something in him with ease. He honestly had to take a second of how fast Feliciano accepted the name, but that didn't take away the butterflies in his stomach or flutter in his heart at seeing Feliciano so joyful- a little flap in his tail, the gills at his neck doing a little flare at his excitement. Ludwig chuckled, leaning to Feliciano's thumb. The boat situation stuck in his head as one of those thoughts he wanted to push back and yet it would only hit harder, but it didn't hit him till Feliciano's story on his day that, indeed, there was one other merman like Feliciano, Lovino. And finally, the threat he gave yesterday could truely come to fruition, but Lovino didn't know of his career, right? Oh he was seriously doubting going to work tomorrow. Did he really need it? It wasn't till Feliciano's thumb brushed against his head that he realized he closed his own eyes, opening them smally to meet Sorrow's face. Feli's face. He still felt the want to call him Sorrow. 

"Are you going to fall asleep on me?" Feliciano teased, "You should go back up and rest, It's close to my sleeping time." He took a deep breath, scooting onto his back with Ludwig still carefully in hand while he took the other hand and scooped a handful of ocean water onto his upper half. "Refreshinggg..." He giggled, ".. I really wish I could show you the ocean. Show you the different animals and all the cool things I find. Roma never lets me keep anything 'human' or talk about much cause he's busy a lot..." 

Ludwig held his arms together, cold from the air. "Noted..." 

"Can you dry off better inside your lil home?" Feliciano asked, in which Ludwig nodded.

"Here then.." He offered his hand. Ludwig looked to the hand, going into it. "Please don't warm me with more fish breath." Feliciano giggled and shook his head, liftiing his upper half to lift Ludwig towards the cliff; his fingers grazed the edges of the grassy cliff, just enough to be level so all Ludwig had to do was step off. Ludwig held his arms when he did a slight wobble and hopped off quickly before anything could happen. "Ah- bitte schon!" His voice raised in order for the other to hear. "Bit a what?!" Feliciano called out in the same raised voice, clamping a hand over his mouth and repeating his question in a quieter tone.

"It's German for thank you- now go hide!" He made a shooing motion with his bulky hands, gesturing for the other to leave and Felicano flared his gills with a smile before diving into the ocean to once more resume his usual schedule.

Ludwig took a deep sigh, making his way back to his house in his cold wet clothes. His shoes squelching as he pushed through the glass doors and shut them behind. A hot shower would suffice rather than simply changing, it might possibly calm his beating heart. "Oh, Gilbert-" He stopped when he spotted him on the couch, digging into his pockets to pull out a wet phone. "Ah- We can put it in rice, I apologize." "Nah, I'm sure it'll be alright. Did you have fun with your boyfriend? I mean, what got you all wet?" 

"Please- Shush." Ludwig pulled off his jacket, dropping in the hamper. "Accidentally got hit by a wave."

"A wave of the feelings?" Gilbert teased, receiving a playful punch. "I'm just kidding, no need to get so fussy about it, unless you actually like him like that." 

Ludwig stayed quiet while he turned to walk up the stairs. 

"Oh my god you do-!"

"I'm going to take a shower, dummkopf- and I don't!" Ludwig huffed, wandering to his room. 

A warm shower later, he wrapped a towel around his waist, using another to dry his hair off as well as his chest. Ludwig afterwards reached to put some gel onto one hand while the other went to pull his bangs back. Although, he looked himself in the mirror, letting his bangs drop again while he messed with them a bit. "Hm... Not Shabby." He glanced to the side, giving a small smile and washed his gel off from his hand, letting his bangs down for the time being. He made his way to his office after getting dress in a pair of slacks and a white button up, dropping into his chair with a soft thump; he slid his glasses onto his face, overlooking the bills once more for the day, ready to make a few phone calls.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you liked the fluff! Let me know what you think will happen or what you think of the chapter <3 every kudos/comment is very appreciated. I really want to work on these and finish these for you all. I promise longer chapters are coming <3 If there is any inconsistencies, PLEASE let me know. I did my best to go back and make sure it lines up correctly, but some details go amiss.


	5. Chapter 5

"What do you mean I can't cancel?" His fingers ran over the back of the phone in slight frustration, his other hand posed on the top of his leg. His words never came out shaky, but he was just so anxious, for he had never had anything on the line. What exactly was on the line? The money for this life style, his reputation as a good employee for the future, and most importantly (to him), Feliciano. The air left him when the other voice spoke, "We are working on bare minimum crew already, and you gave notice that would attend a week prior, without giving notice you would reject 3 days prior. I cannot let you go-" 

"I promise to attend the next one." Ludwig simply answered, moving the free hand to cup his own face in worry, blantly lying just so he wouldn't have to go, the 'next time' he simply planned to quit. He was always a man of work ethic, but how long could he keep caring about work before his own wants- till it drove him down to the ground? Especially going into a work day where it could be his last. Unbeknownst, he was actually pouting, the hair still down and wet, crossing the tops of his eyes. 

"Well, promise the next time, I need you now. Otherwise you won't get the payment for your work last trip, are we clear?" God, he never found his boss's voice this- irritating before. Glaring hard into the dark wood that made his work table, Ludwig let out a great sigh.

"...We are clear. See you tomorrow."

The flat line on the phone went off and Ludwig placed it onto the desk. "Gott...Verdam..." He sat down in his chair, ignoring the squeak it gave while he sat his elbows on the table, borrowing his face in them while he moved his head back and forth. Maybe he's exaggerating. What if it really was a wave. Lovino would never let himself or Feliciano be exposed so clearly. Right? Why did he care so much about Feliciano- a creature he's known for a few days- how did he sneak into his head so quickly? Into his heart in which he thought was closed off to everyone besides his brother in that familiar way.

His fingers found purchase on his black pen, giving it a gentle flick to take in the appeasing sound of it rolling. And flicked it again when it rolled back to him. Over and over. It was the only sound in the room, a bodily distraction while he got lost in his thoughts. A few days, that's all, maybe he was overreacting. But since today would be his last day until then, there were a few things he wanted to finish up before then. So standing up, he got to work.

It started with cleaning the kitchen and main living room, making sure it was clean since it'd be left in the hands of Gilbert for a while and he wanted to minimize the mess he would make. Or at least set a level of cleanliness he expected when he came back. The dogs were next bathed in the back, his khakis and t-shirt wet from the hose while he sprayed the soap off his dog's back, always forgetting to expect the shake-off they would all day; causing him to laugh and smile at how cheery they would look at him afterwards. They were dried and let back in the house when they reached a sufficient dryness. He headed out for groceries, checked out new books from the library, and stopped by a few stores for some tools for an idea he had later. Gilbert helped bring the groceries inside and Ludwig busted out the cook book he had to make stroganoff and salad for himself and his brother for a lovely lunch. 

He slid the plate down on the table with a satisfying thump that indicated the plate was situated on the wood, perfecting it by setting a napkin and fork at the side of it. He reached into the fridge and fetched not one, but two beers, since he was dying for a drink lately and he was about to go some days without even a sip. "Gilbert, Lunch is ready," He called out to the living room. The chair creaked under his weight when he sat to eat and drink away the stress, perhaps gripping his beer a bit too much at times to dent the sides of the can. Gilbert came in around Ludwig's second can since he had been in the middle of a game with his friends, pulling the chair out recklessly and sitting for the meal. There was a few moments of silence, pardoning Gilbert's mentions of his game or how his friends were doing. Ludwig listened respectively, for a moment. "So- guy's bout to win, Antonio surprisingly comes in with the shot-" "Gilbert," Ludwig held a hand up to finish the bite he had, "Not to be rude, but I did have something I wanted to ask."

"Oh sure, what's up bud?"

"Just, since I am.. planning to quit, do you mind... attempting to look for a job?"

"What do you mean, I have a job-"

"Gilbert, I know you lost your job, you used my email with your last job. And borrowing Antonio and Francis's money doesn't count." 

"...Er..." He glanced up, trying to think of something before shrugging. "Yeah, you got me there." 

"Not that I don't love having you around, but it's just in case I can't find anything." 

"Can't find anything? Ludwig you graduated top of class back in high school. You were team captain of almost every sport... You were a hall monitor, a tutor... You are so much more qualified than I ever will be to get a job."

"You went to college too, I'm positive you have as much luck as I. All I ask is you try." Ludwig ended the sentence with a bite. 

"Alright, I'll try, I'll try." 

"One other thing," Gilbert glanced up to look to Ludwig. "Is Grandpa's boat still in the shed outside?"

\---------------------

The sun was slowly approaching the horizon, perhaps only a few hours till, and the side of their house has junk laid all about. Well, not necessarily junk, but different heirlooms, things from Gilbert's last home, tools, random car parts, and the item was looking for, his grandfather's old row boat. Ludwig doesn't remember much of his grandfather; he had passed when Ludwig was very young. But what did remember were the times his grandfather would bring him out to the sea for the occasional fishing trip and old stories. Ludwig brushed his hand over a fishing pole from such times, his grandfather's personal favorite. His thumb brushed over the reel, shining it from the dusty sheen that covered it before. He never remembered the stories, but he did remember the laughter and hugs. Despite how much people said his grandfather was a cold cold man, he truly wasn't. And often, he finds himself to relate like him. Would Feliciano in this case be the one to know him for his true personality? Or Gilbert? He gently set the reel aside, reaching to grab another item carefully, but it disturbed whatever had been laying against it and all of sudden something shifted to hit the side of the shed with a dull thunk. The wave of dust that aroused caused him to cough, waving at the air to see the boat finally. "Gott, this has been in here for ages..." Ludwig grabbed the head of the boat and pulled on it to drag it out and set it down on its bottom properly. Ludwig dusted his hands off on his pants and took a moment to access the boat in it's condition. 'Seems intact... Well there's only one true way to see if it does work.'

Ludwig grabbed the bow of the small boat once more, dragging it out and gradually through the sand. The water reached to his ankles before he went around to push it into the water. He was esthetic to see if it would float, hoping he would be able to take it out into the ocean for the night to show Feliciano. To at least not be limited to the beach. Who knows, perhaps Feliciano would love it. With a great shove, the boat left the sand to hit into the water besides the docks. It simply waved back and forth from the disturbance of the water until all calmed down and it balanced calmly along the ocean top. The water washed the wood of the dust coat, giving it a much darker appearance closer to the bottom and it only brought more of a smile to Ludwig's face. "Ha, Would you look at that." With a foot, he tested the steadiness of the boot to see if it could bare half his weight. Then stepped in with the other, taking a seat on the small bench inside. "Perhaps 17 years old and still floats. Opa wouldn't believe it." Ludwig glanced around, patting at the bottom of the boat before feeling his hand wrap around something round. "Ah-" He pulled out the oar carefully from under his seat. "All intact. Incredible." Ludwig spent a few minutes in the boat before getting out and tying the boat to his dock. He began to clean the mess he had in front of the shed, and better yet, organized it to fit properly. And then left to prepare to make a small dinner, pack for the morning, and prepare for tonight. 

___________________

Ludwig took in the beauty that was the ocean sounds. He was currently situated about 10 meters from his home, just far enough that he couldn't hear the faint sounds of traffic or city sounds. His house already was close to far from the city, but this- this was different. The only sound was the serenity of the ocean waves and wind, save the occasional sound of the seagulls flying over. He decided to visit his boat once more just to witness the dawn in a better view, drinking in the beautiful orangish sky while he sipped from another beer. This would have to be his last, he knew his limit and he would prefer to not meet Feliciano drunk. Heh, would he even understand the concept of being drunk? Well, dolphins understand being high so it's not out of the question. Another sip ended his silly thought, planning to be out here until he could see Feliciano. He didn't want to think of how he was going to word a lie for Feliciano to hear, it was just nerve-wrecking to think about. The most he thought about was simply saying he was going on a business trip on that boat. Just to catch fish. That he shouldn't try to visit him. God that was making him so anxious, but it wouldn't happen. It wouldn't. Ludwig sighed, the conversation will go as planned to the best of his ability, but for now, sigh... and watch.  
The boat gave a little shake, hearing something breach the water. Ludwig paused, frozen and slowly got up to see something just pop back into the water. Ludwig smiled smally, leaning over to draw a circle in the water. "Feliciano, It's alright. I know it's you." His hand slowly rose out of the water as Feliciano's hand went up underneath it. "Heh, I wasn't sure if it was you but I figured it had to be you." Feliciano cooed. "You got a tiny boat," His larger hand came out to gently shake the boat which cause Ludwig to grasp the sides. "Feliciano-" Sternly. 

"Sorry, it's just so cute! Does this mean you can come out further into the water with me?" Ludwig gave a gentle nod which resulted in a sudden squeak from the larger man and his tail gave an excited swish in the water. "Wonderful! Here- let's go out farther, than I can stretch more and swim and show you things-"

"Alright, easy there- not to faa-" Ludwig broke out it a gasp as the boat suddenly kicked into a higher speed than he expected, grasping the oar before it could slip into the darkening sea. Feliciano was behind, pushing the boat ahead and guiding with his tail. "Calm down Luddy," He giggled. "It's like riding a fast dolphin-!" 

"I don't know what's that is like-" Ludwig snidded, smiling. He cautiously relaxed his grip so he wasn't as tense, seeing his house fade further and further in the distance only to be pushed further out into the black ocean. They continued like this for about five minutes till Feliciano was satisfied. The boat came to a stop and truly enough, this was out enough that the city was very far in the distance and nothing else was in sight. Even Feliciano was hard to see besides the glow of moonlight across his beautiful face. "Alright, you may stretch." Ludwig humored, readjusting his seat on the boat to over look Feliciano swimming on his back, stretching his arms out wide and tilted his head up. His long tail extended to its fullest and it gave a mighty yet gentle hit against the ocean surface. "Ah, I can only do this at night, it feels so nice!" 

"Is it any different doing it towards the surface?"

"The fresh air, feels nice against the skin rather than constantly feeling water and annoying sand..." Feliciano flipped back over, smiling. "Hmm.. what to show you first... Oo, one second!" Before Ludwig could even speak, Feliciano dived into the water to find something. Ludwig patiently waited until Feliciano came back up with a few starfish in his hand, but unlike the typical starfish, they were ones of different sizes, colours, and number of arms. One had bizarrely long arms and another was gigantic. "I- actually have never seen starfish like this..." Ludwig leaned in closer, interested, to which Feliciano held them still for him. 

"I know, they are so pretty- but I can only show them for so long, I'm sure they are getting a little cranky from being away from their home. "Sorry, Ms. Johnson-" He whispered to one of the starfish. 

"Do you actually understand them?" 

"Hm? Well... like how I understand you? No, I can only understand a few of the animals, but I like the think I can understand any sea animal, that they have names, like us." Feliciano watched with Ludwig as the starfish roamed his hand; he briefly dipped it in the water to make sure they did not dry out. "..Maybe you can." Ludwig reassured, patting his hand. A few minutes later and Feliciano returned them. 

"So... where did you get the boat?" Feliciano pondered, seemingly curious since he first saw it. "Ah, it's actually my grandfather's, I decided to repay it a visit and have it live its legacy once more."

"That's sweet!" Feliciano giggled. "It's very lovely, What was he like? Did he look like you? After all, I'm ages old.. maybe I've seen him!" 

"Maybe, but I'm fairly sure anytime he was out at the ocean, I was with him and I don't remember a giant fish." 

Feliciano huffed and stuck his tongue out. 

"... He does look like me, but, more rugged, slight beard and long hair. I looked more like him and my father than my brother." Ludwig laid back in the boat. "He was very sweet and yet stoic. A great man."

"Hm... I don't think I have seen him, but that just reminds me of my ancestor..." 

"Your ancestor?" 

"Mhm, our ancestor, the one who guarded these very seas before us. We're not exactly sure what happened to him, but I remember him when I was but the size of a orca."

"I can imagine that was a long while back."

"Very long ago. There was no houses like yours or large metal birds, or anything.."

"And I thought I was getting old." Ludwig huffed in amusement. "You look so young and handsome to me I think," Ludwig glanced over, snorting. "Thank you. You are beautiful." Ludwig glanced aside, thankfully the dark was covering the blush on his cheeks.

Feliciano felt flattered himself, "I think I know what I want to show you next, You'll love it, they are a beautiful sight, but we have to swim a lil further out if that's okay?" When Ludwig gave a nod, Feliciano happily guided the boat once more, however, more gently than before. Now, they were further out, the sight of his home gone and nothing but ocean for a while. "Alright, what am I seeing now?" 

"Just- wait for this- are you ready?" Feliciano held up his hands, clearly excited to show something. "Go ahead." "Alright- watch the water-" Feliciano dived his head underneath and did a quick circle around the boat. It seemed simple, but as Feliciano moved, the black sea suddenly became lightened by a glowing trail that followed Feliciano. They stayed lit up after Feliciano finished hi spin and surrounded the boat in their beautiful bright blue glow. Ludwig's eyes widened like a child on Christmas, shocked by the sight and moved to the side of the boat to glance at it. "What- what is this-" 

"It's a type of zooplankton I think. That's what I hear it is. Aren't they beautiful? I love them so much, but I can't spend much time with them since... welll.. they gain easy attraction to anyone nearby. If anyone even bothers to come out this far." 

"It's absolutely gorgeous..." Ludwig let his breath leave him running his hand the the water. "I love it. This is fascinating. God Feliciano, thank you, I've never seen this before." Ludwig tried to scoop the water, just to see it fall out of his hands.

"I knew you'd like it. You're the kind of smart man that'd like this. Oo, remind me to show your seahorses sometime." Feliciano settled in the water with the glowing creatures, 'playing' with them by running a finger through the water. "Alright, Call it a future date then."  
Feliciano was surprised by Ludwig's word. but grinned and nodded. "Okay, Luddy."

They spent that night speaking and chatting up, secretly throwing compliments back and forth while they basked in the company of the glow. Feliciano did show a few more creatures and Ludwig eventually had come to the point of explaining how he wouldn't be here for the next few days. That it was a simple 'job thing' and that he shouldn't come to see him until he came back out on a boat again. Feliciano agreed, disappointed to here, but lightened when Ludwig mentioned that as soon as he came back, they could spend the night together again looking at seahorses. He promised. And it would be so rude for him to break such a promise....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally an update <3 am I right?  
> I estimate maybe 3 or so chapters left in the story, more if I make them short. Thoughts on this chapter? Was it cute?  
> (I haven't written this in a whole, so if there is any inconsistencies, please let me know.)


	6. Chapter 6

Ludwig secured the rope around the old splitting wood, making sure the knot that would keep the boat was tight and proper. His hands pulled back to see the boat floating softly in place and the smile remained true on his face. "Well," Ludwig turned back to the large entity looking to him with big eyes. "I promise to be back in around 3 days. Remember-" 

"Don't come to speak to you till I see you out here in your lil boat." Feliciano repeated the phrase as if it was a law. "I remember, Luddy, I won't come seeking you and distract you from woooork and fishingg..." Feliciano peeked closer, leaning onto the dock a bit and the old wood cracked abruptly, giving the whole structure a shake. "You better come back in three days though." His expression was stern, unlike Ludwig has ever seen on him, before it cracked into a smile and he went to press his lips to his head with a 'mwah'. The sudden force pushed Ludwig back, not seeing it coming but he still blushed like a madman. "I will, I will. Stay safe and Stay Hidden Please..."

"You sound like my brother.." Feliciano gave a sigh, flopping back into the ocean with a splash before appearing by his side again. "I will be waiting!"

Ludwig moved to kiss his wet forehead. "Alright, tell all the starfish about your day for now and find me one of those Sea dragons. Okay?" 

"You got it," Feliciano giggled, giving him a faint brush in the same sense of a hug before diving off and away, leaving Ludwig with a fluttery heart. Ludwig raised a hand to rub his cheek, left with this internal feeling of happiness. His body felt numb in the sweet way. Honestly, he might be able to walk into work tomorrow with a smile on his face despite it being *work*. Only because there was something to actually look forward to at the end. He took a glance back down at the docks when he walked to the top of the path back to his house, overlooking the waves calmly shake the boat and the whisps of cold air on his cheek before he slid glass doors open to step in. Throwing the jacket on the stand nearby and slipped his shoes off, only to replace them with the slippers right by. "Gilbert, I think I had maybe one of the best nights-..." Ludwig turned to find his brother on the couch, all dressed up in decent clothes, hair actually brushed, and shoes on. Gilbert looked to his hand, thumbing his fingers over the keys that laid in them. 

It was a moment of awkward silence while Ludwig racked his brain on why he was like this. It finally fell on him. He told his brother yesterday they would go out for drinks... And while he had been the one to come up with the idea, he knew how much Gilbert wanted to do something like that with his brother. Whether it be to help him find someone or just because he wanted to spend time out with his brother, he needed that. "Ah... I forgot..."

"It's not a big deal, when you went out, I figured you'd be back in a bit. But I know you were having fun with him." Gilbert sat up, setting the keys on the table next to them. "Which is what really matters to me, I mean, I saw that dumb smile on your face when you came in. Plus, drinks and the girls can just- wait another time."

"Yes, Yes, Of course... I promise, on a night I come back we can. I'm... surprised I completely blanked about it." He was the most responsible boy in the entire Beilschmidt family. The boy who wakes up 6 am respectfully every morning and tidies everything up. Who shows up 15 minutes before any planned event. And to think about it, these past few days his sleep schedule is different, he's been unable to think on anything besides that beautiful fish. 

"I... I know it's late but can we sit and drink like we did the other day? I could really use it. I get if you're mad at me for making plans and then not respecting them, but."

"Of course, bud, it's not a big deal. Like I said," Gilbert scooted past him to fetch a beer and twist the cap off. "Not a big deal. Besides, it's going to be a bit till you can get another beer like this." The beer was offered out to him. "I hate you're right." Ludwig took it up, sipping from it. 

No matter how many years ago it was, he still won't have a moment where he can look at the glass and not remember his grandfather drinking the exact same on their fishing trips. Or the first time he was offered it and spat it out all into the ocean, his grandfather chuckling and ruffling the hair on his head. The sound of the couch cushions squishing from Gilbert's weight on them brought him back and he glanced around to sit back on the couch. "..I'm honestly surprised opa never went into the brewing hobby."

"'Pfft, Are you kidding me? That man with a endless supply of beer?" Gilbert huffed and lifted the glass to his lips. "Sure it would have been some good beer though. But hey, this ain't shabby." 

"Very true." A long sigh and a sip later, he found himself getting back at the topic on his mind. "..What do you think I should do?" 

"In terms of what? The fish or the job?" 

"Both if you have the answers, wise one." Ludwig glanced over, keeping his head forward. 

"Well, you could perhaps find something more in town. You seem like the kind of guy that could be CEO of something. Start as an accountant. That is, if you don't care what you want to do." 

" Of course I care. I choose to work on that boat for a reason. I wanted to see the ocean and find something... more to myself. I know there's all the men there, and the weather can be awful, but there's nothing like seeing the sunset, all the things I catch in the net, and just... having somewhere to think." Gilbert pressed further back into the couch as he listened to Ludwig, nodding along. 

"Well, you can find something else...Work on a private island and get to see the beach all day, you know? Reminds me of that one movie with the scientist on the island and the author who tried to find it." 

"That's a bit of a goal." Although, it did put a fantasy in his head. Imagine being a Marine Biologist and your partner is an insanely big sea guardian who helps you collect sea animals for study or rescue...  
"I think I might just work at the library for the time being." 

"You seem like the librarian type too now that you say that. I can already see the rows of books in alphabetical order and Mr. Beilschmidt telling everyone to hush-up." This earned a chuckle from the younger. "I can't argue with that. People are too noisy.." 

Another sip. "And the other?"

"The fish? ..Err... Well... Love is already troubling. Let alone someone that's 100x times the size of you."

"I'd say maybe 10x the size of me, but that's true..." Ludwig rubbed his forehead.

"You have feelings for him, don't you? I know I joked yesterday, but that's why you've been so distraught." Gilbert set the glass down on the counter, to which Ludwig in a stressed sigh lifted the drink and set a coaster underneath. "I just, don't get why he had to be the one. He's so... cute and funny. But of course, it's no way possible." 

"Well I wouldn't say not possible. Just not... normal. Or easy. I mean just finding a girl is already hard. But hey, beauty loved a beast, your beast just happened to be him." 

Ludwig gave just a single nod. The rest of the night was spent in small stories, flashbacks, nostalgia, and laughter. He could easily forget his troubles at the time, as only nostalgic warmth and a drunk brain blocked it all out. However, it all came flooding back when he shut his bedroom door after bidding his brother goodnight. It was that... dread of work and something more. Guilt. Worry? Fear? Perhaps some over exaggeration of something so small? He wasn't one to become paranoid so easily, but thinking about it got him more panicked. So, he took a breath, changed out, and laid on his bed to think it all over. Moments of peace like this were his comfort place, somewhere to sort all his feelings. But before he could settle it all down, he simply let the sleep overcome him. And he didn't realize it till the sunlight poked at him and pulled him from his dreams. 

Groaning, Ludwig put a fist to his forehead to settle the throb there as he glanced over to the clock. A cold sweat overtook for a moment, thinking he read the time wrong only to realize he woke up but 12 minutes later than he usually does. Another week of work. Last week of work- for a while maybe. 

\-----------------------

Ludwig glanced around, watching his coworkers load various things onto the ship while he set a large crate down. He offered help wherever, keeping his mind in a blank state by focusing on the small things: the smell of the salty sea, the creak of wood, the gentle sounds of the boats rocking, the squeak of his boots and overalls. He wasted no time for chatter, not that he was necessarily anywhere close to friends with anyone here. Mere acquaintances. He had a difficult time getting close with someone, usually because he didn't enjoy those with a overall jerky attitude or those who just merely engaged in small talk with him. Feliciano- Feliciano wasn't just unique as a creature. He was unique in personality, so kind and endearing. Why, he made a man with no conversation talk on for hours, and love every second of it. 

The boat soon left and Ludwig watched his home fade with every rock, taking note to notice Weeping Rock was still submerged from the summer water so that it was barely visible. But it wouldn't be long before winter would be here and a part of him will miss seeing it every time he left for work, but he rather walk out to see it rather than risk this any longer. And what if his time with Feliciano would not stay? What if something happens the next day and he gave his job up for nothing? Even... Even if such a thing happened, there's better than a job like this. He would want every moment with Feliciano as he could. Besides, Gilbert wasn't wrong, a job at the library wouldn't be so bad. The thought of a beautifully organized library every day and a Feliciano every night motivated him to finally push away from the boat's edges to help the others roll out the traps in the water for the fish. 

The first day, was merely setting out the traps for the usual game. Traveling around a certain area and preparing each net before sliding it into the cold depths with nothing left but a single bobber to tell them of where it was. They occasionally brushed by the other boats who did the same, but worked for others. Ludwig could overhear the snide comments his coworkers made about them, but frankly did not care. Was he really considered unsociable for not wanting to talk about pointless things? He would simply greet in the morning, get to work, eat, and at night head down to read his books before sleeping to repeat. That's how it always was. Only this time, it didn't bother him how repetitive it all was, how lackluster it was to be without friends, how wrong he felt doing this job. 

Around the third day, the dreadful time came where they did finally catch a whale. Ludwig woke abruptly to the boat giving a thrash and he would grab his jacket, throwing it on while he used his hands and knees to climb up the cold metal steps to see a few of the other men up overlooking the whale in a net. His heart froze, coughing to keep his cool as he marched over besides them. Oh the look in its eye, the song it was making. All he could think was, 'What if this is one of the whales Feliciano talks to? Was this one of his only friends too?'. He gave a huff when the coworkers next to him high-fived over the catch, discussing over who will go tell their captain, who will get the praise-

However, when they all left the side, and Ludwig realized that there was no one necessarily looking at him...

He gulped the lump in his throat, feeling the pocket knife in his jacket and glanced at the whale. It didn't even come to him, that in a flash of a moment, he was over and hastily cutting the rope. The whale's song did not end, not even when there was a sudden force that slammed the boat a bit and everyone aboard fell onto the floor boards.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not sure if I have a lot of motivation to finish this story, I have the actual rest of the story fleshed out, but the end of this chapter seems rushed and silly. I feel my writing is bland, and I feel I am better at roleplaying than creating these. Apologies it took a month, but hopefully you all like this. 2249 Words.

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this draft maybe a year ago, but I'm bringing it back! To help my motivation of writing! Will be switching between working on this and Abadoned.


End file.
